Hurricane Katrina - New Orleans aftermath
We evacuated to Texas and like thousands of others, are desperately looking for news and trying to get in touch with the idiots friends and neighbors who refused to evacuate or go to shelters. Katrina is obviously impacting more than just New Orleans, and because she passed on the east side of New Orleans, we made out much better than we expected. Bad news for Mississippi and Alabama, again. As far as I can find out, the water is waist deep where I live (a suburb called Metairie) but in other parts of the metro area like St. Bernard, 15-20 feet deep. Some people have been rescued from their roofs. Overall, the bowl that is New Orleans apparently did not fill beyond what we can deal with - yesterday the guy from the Corps of Engineers was describing the expected scenario where the eye of the storm passed over my parish (Jefferson) and the whole city would be around 20 feet deep - he said it would be a minimum of 6 months just to get the water out. We got really lucky with that eastern path. You can read more about how Katrina affected New Orleans at the blog of a local news station, WDSU. Here are links to lots of video (raw footage.)
We left New Orleans not really expecting our house to be there when we got back. Because of the more easterly course of the storm, it may actually be there, albeit three feet deep in water. The huge oak tree I left in my front yard is quite likely in the living room now, but those kinds of things can be dealt with. We're praying for friends who stayed, both that they made it through the storm alive, and that they have the sense next time to know that everything can be restored or done without - except your life. We are entering into a cycle of decades of increased hurricane activity. People who live near the coast need to be ready, and have their priorities straight, because increased hurricane activity is the new normal. Tropical Depression 13 is forming in the Atlantic, about 965 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, moving toward the west-northwest at about 13 mph with sustained winds of near 30 mph. If Tropical Depression 13 strengthens into a tropical storm, it will be called Lee.
Katrina photos below
St. Berard Parish deputy sheriff Jerry Reyes uses his boat to rescue residents after Hurricane Katrina hit the area causing flooding in their New Orleans neighborhood, Monday Morning, Aug. 29, 2005. Officials called for a mandatory evacuation of the city, but many resident remained in the city. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
The roof of the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans was shredded by strong winds of Hurricane Katrina as it battered the Crescent City on Monday, Aug. 29, 2005. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
The North side of the Hyatt hotel in New Orleans was shredded by 140mph winds when Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Louisiana coast on Monday, Aug. 29, 2005.(AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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Posted by Laura Curtis at August 29, 2005 03:58 PM
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Comments
| # August 29th, 2005 4:37 PM Laura |
| "I'm not doing too good right now," Chris Robinson said via cellphone from his home east of the city's downtown. "The water's rising pretty fast. I got a hammer and an ax and a crowbar, but I'm holding off on breaking through the roof until the last minute. Tell someone to come get me please. I want to live."
This kind of thing makes me furious. If you're an adult who made the decision not to evacuate or go to a shelter, why should a bunch of first responders have to risk their lives for you? You made a decision, live with it. |
| # August 29th, 2005 5:57 PM kris |
| Wow. I'm glad to hear that things may very well be better than you expected.
Some good friends of mine went through the bad Houston flooding of 2000 and even though their whole neighborhood was flooded (in fact, when I visited a month or so later carpets and couches were still out on the curb) their house made it through unscathed, so hopefully you'll have a similar experience. |
| # August 30th, 2005 9:07 PM radio1pm |
| Does anyone have information on the apartments and residents of the apartments (Once barracks) across from UNO campus? Relative and roomates stayed behind and havent been able to contact.
Prayers welcomed and thank you. |
| # August 31st, 2005 6:17 PM Laura |
| Radio, here's some links that might help:
Here's a really helpful map for info, don't post questions there. Forums to post Katrina questions about neighborhoods and people: Orleans Forum Kenner Forum Jefferson Forum River Parishes Forum St. Bernard/Plaquemines Forum St. Tammany Forum Mandeville Forum |
| # September 4th, 2005 12:28 PM mbrlr |
| Many of those who chose not to evacuate perhaps didn't choose. Poor, no car, no ability to buy a ticket to get out. Did Louisiana or the feds make provision for this circumstance? |
| # September 4th, 2005 12:31 PM BrianH |
| Many of those who chose not to evacuate were rich. Or do you consider Fats Domino and the thousands like him to be part of the poor?
It wasn't a demographic thing mbrlr, it was a poor choice thing. |
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